Mechanism for slotting studs.



A. 1. LEWIS.

MECHANISM FOR SLOTTING STUDS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.5| 9]6- I Patented Nov. 12, 1918'.

2 SSHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

' ARTHUR J. LEWIS, OF STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BAIRD MACHINE COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORQCONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

MECHANISM FOR SLOTTING STUIDS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stratford, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Mechanism for Slotting Studs, (Case 13,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the slotting of studs generally, and more especially to slotting the studs of the socket members of snap fasteners, the sockets in which are the inner sides of tubular studs drawn from sheet metal. These studs require to be slotted to receive the engaging portions of springs which look the shanks of the other fastener members in engagement with the socket members, andthe invention has for its object to provide simple and efiective mechanism for cutting slots in the socket members after the studs are formed by removing a single chip of metal to form each slot.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan View partly broken away, illustrating a form of my novel mechanism using oscillatory cutters and adapted to operate upon studs fed in the form of continuous strips; 1

Fig. 2 a vertical section on the line 22 in Fig. 1, looking in the direction'of the arrows;

Fig. 3 a detail plan view on a line indicated by 33 in Fig. 2','1ooking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 an elevation of one of the cutters detached;

. Fig. 5 an elevation and plan View of the i die detached;

Fig. 6 an elevation and plan view of the plunger detached;

Fig. 7 a view on an enlarged scale illustrating a stud before being operated upon;

Fig. 8 a similar View illustrating a stud 'after being operated upon;

Fig. 9 a plan view illustrating a form of my novel mechanism using rotary cutters;

Fig. 10 a vertical sectionon the line 1010 in Fig. 9, looking inthe direction of the ar- I rows;

Fig. 11 a detail sectional view on the line 11-11 in Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 a detail plan view illustrating a form of my novel mechanism in which the studs are fed singly;

Fig. 13 a section on the line 13-13in Fig.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 5, 1916. Serial No. 113,357.

l2 d looking in the direction of the arrows, an

Fig. 14 is an inside detail elevationof the left way as seen in Fig. 1. y

denotes the bed, 21 the'head carried by a bracket 22, 23 the driving shaft and 24 and 25 grooved cams carriedbysaid shaft. 26 denotes the die which is seated in a hole in the bed. Suitable means is provided, preferably .upon the die, for supporting the studs during the slotting operation; In the present instance I have shown the die as provided with a transverse rib 27' upon its face. 28 denotes an ejector which is seated in a hole inthe die and is provided with a head 29 lying in an enlargement of the hole. A spring 30 bearing against the head of the eJector and against a backing screw 31 acts to force the ejector upward. 32 denotes the plunger which reciprocates in the head and is carried by a yoke 33' loosely pivoted to a bell crank lever 34 having its fulcrum in the bracket. At the other end of the bell crank lever is a roller 35 adapted to travel in the groove of cam 24. The plunger may or may not be provided with a teat 36 which is flat tened on opposite sides (see Fig. 6) for a purpose presently to beexplained, the flat tened sides being in alinement with the rib on the die. The slotting operation is performed by the cutting points of cutters 37 which move in circular paths and out the slots in opposite sides of the studs by removing a single chip of metal to form each slot.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 14, the cutters are carried by arms 38, themselves carried by vertical shafts 39 adapted to oscillate in the bed. One of the arms 38 is in fact the short arm of a lever 40 which carries at its other end aroller 41 adapted to travel in the groove of cam 25. Vertical shafts 39 carry at their lower ends intermeshing segment gears 42 (see Fig. 3) whereby the oscillation of one of the shafts is transmitted to the other, and the same amount of oscillatory movement is imparted to each cutter.

In the forms illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 14, and in Figs. 9,10and 11, the slotting operation is performed upon studs 43 which are fed to the machine in the form of a continuous strip indicated by 44, which is also pierced for the thread holes of the completed fastener member. 45 denotes'ways through which the strip is' fed 'by suitable feeding mechanism, which also spaces the studs. This mechanism is not shown as specifically it forms no portion of the present invention. The strip is inserted in the ways with the fiat side upward, the studs extending downward and moving over the surface of the bed in the feeding operation. The ways are provided with slots 55, see Fig. 14, in which arms 58 and the cutters oscillate.

The mechanism is so timed that when a stud reaches the operating position, the plunger will descend, the teat, if used, will pass into the stud and the stud will pass into the hole in the die, forcing the ejector downward against the power of spring 30. The cutters will now swing from their normal or inoperative position, as in Fig. 1 and will remove a single chip of metal from each side of the stud to form the slots 46 (see Fig. 8'), the cutters just clearing the stud-supporting means, in the present instance the rib on the die, and the teat, if used. The cutters then swing backward to their normal position, after which the plunger rises and the ejector follows it, raising the stud out of the hole in the die ready for the next feeding operation, which then takes place. The instant the feeding operation is completed, theplunger moves downward again, the teat, if used, enters the next stud on the strip, the stud enters the hole in the die and the slotting operation takes place as before, these operations being continuously repeated until the studs in the strip have all been slotted.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, cutters 37 are carried by arms 38, themselves carried by vertical shafts 39 as before. In this form, however, the movement of the shafts and cutters is rotary instead of oscillatory. The vertical shafts carry at their lower ends intermeshing gear wheels f7, whereby rotary movement of one of the shafts is transmitted to the other. One of the vertical shafts is extended and carries a spiral gear wheel e8 which meshes with a spiral gear wheel 49 on the driving shaft. The slotting operation is performed by the cutting points of the cutters, as before, the only difference being that they have a rotary instead of an oscillatory movement. The parts of the machine are so timed that the cutters make a rotation corresponding with each feeding operation and remove a single chip' of metal from each side of the stud to formthe slots.

The form illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 differs in that the partly completed fastener members are fed to the slotting mechanism independently instead of in strip form, as

before. The fastener members are placed in position to be operated upon by a carrier 50 in the form of a frame. 51 and 52 denote pairs of spring fingers within the opening in the carrier. The fastener members, indicated by53, are fed to spring fingers 51 by suitable feeding mechanism, not shown,

as specifically it forms no portion of the present invention. It is deemed sufficient for the purposes of this specification to state that the carrier reciprocates a distance equal to the distance from center to center of fastener member in the position shown in Fig. 12, in which the carrier is shown'at the extreme of its forward movement. From the position shown in Fig. 12, the carrier moves backward and spring fingers 51 take a fastener member from the. feeding mechanism at the position of the loose fastener member shown. The carrier then moves forward to the position shown in Fig. 12, carrying the fastener member. The plunger then moves downward, the teat passinginto the stud, and carries the fastener member out of spring fingers 51 and into the hole in the die, the ejector being forced downward against the power of spring 30 (see Fig. 13, which shows the position of the plunger, die and spring fingers at this instant). The carrier then commences to move backward slowly carrying spring fingers 51 toward the receiving position and spring fingers 52 toward the position in which spring fingers 51 are shown. The cutters, whether rotary or oscillatory, are then operated and cut the slots 16 in opposite sides of the stud, the cutters just clearing the rib and teat as before. As soon as the cutters are out of the way, the plunger moves one-third, more or less, the distance toward its raised position and stops, and the ejector raises the slotted fastener member out of the hole in the die, the fastener member being held by the plunger and die in horizontal alinement with spring fingers 52. An instant after the fastener member reaches this position, spring fingers 52, which are now moving backward, will take the fastener member from between the plunger and die. Spring fingers 52 will now be in the position in which spring fingers 51 are shown, and spring fingers 51 will be in the receiving position and will take a new fastener mem- V ber from the feeding mechanism. Assoo'n as spring fingers 52 take the fastener member that has been operated upon from between the plunger a nd die, the plunger completes its upward movement and the several movements are repeated. The carrier now moves forward again spring fingers 51 carrying a new fastener member into position to be operated upon, and spring fingersv 52 carrying the fastener member that has been operated upon forward to the position shown in Fig. 12, where it is removed from the spring fingers by mechanism not shown, as specifically it forms no portion of the present invention, and drops throlugh an opening 5% in the bed. 1

It should be understood that the teat upon the plunger is not an essential feature of construction and may befdispensed with in either of the forms if preferred, and it is not essential that the stud-supporting means be a part of the die.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. Mechanism for slotting studs comprising a plunger, a die, stud-supporting means, and cutters which move in circular paths, clearing the stud-supporting means, whereby slots are cut in opposite sides of studs held between the plunger and the die by removing a single chip of metal to form each slot.

2. Mechanism for slotting studs comprisin a plunger, a die, stud-supporting means, an%l cutting points moving in circular paths and adapted to pass between the plunger and the die and on opposite sides of the stud-supporting means and remove single chips of metal.

3. Mechanism for slotting studs comprising a plunger, a die, having a rib on its face, and cutting points moving in circular paths between the plunger and the die and adapted to pass on opposite sides of the rib.

4. Mechanism for slotting studs comprising a plunger, a die having a rib on its face to support a stud and cutters adapted to oscillate between the plunger and the die and on opposite sides of the rib.

5. Mechanism for slotting studs comprising a plunger having a teat, a die having a rib on its face and a longitudinal hole to receive the teat, and cutters which move in circular paths between the plunger and the die and clear the rib and the teat in the slotting operation.

6. Mechanism for slotting studs comprising a die having a rib on its face and a longitudinal hole to receive a stud, a plunger having a teat flattened on opposite sides in alinement with the rib, and cutters adapted to move in circular paths between the plunger and the die and clear the rib and the teat in the slotting operation.

7. Mechanism for slotting studs comprismg a plunger having a teat, a die having a rib on its face and a longitudinal hole, an ejector in the hole and cutters adapted to move in circular paths between the plunger and the die and clear the rib and the teat in the slotting operation. 8. Mechanism for slotting studs comprismg a plunger having a teat adapted to pass within the stud, a die having a rib on its face and a longitudinal hole to receive a stud, and oscillating cutters adapted to move in circular paths and clear the rib and 'the teat in the slotting operation.

I 9. Mechanism for slotting studs comprismg a plunger, a die, stud-supporting means, vertical shafts, operating connections between said shafts, arms carried by said shafts, and cutters carried by the arms and adapted to move in circular paths on opposite sides of the stud-supporting means.

10. Mechanism for slotting studs comprising a plunger, a die having a rib on its face, cutters adapted to move in circular paths between the die and the plunger and to remove single chips of metal from the studs, and means for guiding the studs to the position to be operated upon.

11. Mechanism for slotting studs comprising a plunger having a flattened teat, a die having a rib on its face, oscillating cutting points traveling between the plunger and the die, and means for guiding the studs to a position to be operated upon.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR J. LEWIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

